Trusted Computer Solutions (TCS), a developer of cross-domain, operating system and network security solutions, has announced that it has partnered with Vicom Infinity, an IBM Premier Business Partner System z reseller, to offer TCS' automated operating system hardening tool to customers across all industries, especially finance and insurance, throughout North America, Canada and Australia. Security Blanket will enable Vicom Infinity mainframe users to assess Linux VMs and identify security vulnerabilities using pre-defined industry or customized security guidelines, and automatically configure the Linux VMs to a hardened state.

"At Vicom Infinity, it is our business to stay current with world-class products and services," notes Leonard J. Santalucia, CTO and business development manager. "Linux runs natively or under z/VM on the IBM System z with the same concerns for operating system security, yet many mainframe administrators are unfamiliar with Linux. Security Blanket enables us to address this concern by offering the industry's only automated system hardening solution to ensure organizations are adhering to their internal and external security and compliance guidelines."

Maintaining the base hardened Linux virtual machines (VM) is fully automated using Security Blanket. Baseline reports can be run on a group of VMs before and after patches are applied. If an application fails after patching, a baseline comparison report will quickly show the administrator what has changed. If a group of VMs has been locked down and the configuration changes, due to patching or some other activity, a subsequent compliancy assessment identifies whether the VMs are still compliant. If not, one simple click will take them back to a hardened state.

TCS engaged in IBM's Systems Application Advantage for Linux program (a.k.a. Chiphopper) for developing and testing Security Blanket on the System z platform and received official Chiphopper Assurance approval. For more information about Security Blanket, go here.